Just about every coaching opening so far — from Milwaukee to Brooklyn to even Charlotte — has tried to entice one of the best free agent coaches. Now, he has told them it might be time to back off for now.
Stan Van Gundy told SportsTalk 1080 AM in Orlando on Tuesday that he does not plan to coach next year, opting to spend time with his family and enjoy his semi-retirement. This was, of course, before the Clippers announced they would not retain Vinny Del Negro after his contract expired at the end of the season.
As you get down the road more and the longer you are out, the harder it is to get back in and that was certainly a difficult part of the decision process for me because it’s certainly something that I miss and don’t want to close the door on for the rest of my life, but, it is not right now anyway, in the best interest of my family, so it won’t be next year.
This time Van Gundy is REALLY spending more time with his family — the supposed reason he stepped down from Miami before their 2006 championship run.
During last year's offseason, a source told Crossover Chronicles that Van Gundy was indeed focusing on spending time with his family. That is not something that would seem to change in a year, and the source seemed to intimate that would not change. Stan Van Gundy told Baumann on Tuesday that he has had people call, but he never advanced it to an interview. Van Gundy said the decision not to coach next year until a few weeks ago after discussions with his family.
Van Gundy said he would be interested in returning to coaching. But he said it would be unfair to his family to move them with where his kids are in school.
In his year off, Van Gundy has worked for NBC Sports Radio and the NBC Sports Network as a radio analyst and then as a color commentator for NBC Sports Network's college basketball coverage.
Van Gundy though seems certain he will return to an NBA sideline in the future. He still views himself as a coach.
Even though he has missed out a year, Van Gundy should remain at the top of several job openings.
